Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 24

English Translation

It cannot be cut, It cannot be burnt, cannot be moistened, and surely cannot be dried up. It is eternal, omnipresent, stationary, unmoving and changeless.

Detailed Commentary

।।2.24।। Explanation— [This verse explains why weapons and other elements cannot affect this Ātmā.] 'Achchhedyo'yam'—Weapons cannot cleave this Ātmā. This does not mean that there are no weapons, or that the wielder of weapons is incompetent, but rather that this Ātmā is simply not suitable for being cut. Besides weapons, even mantras, curses, and the like cannot cleave this Ātmā. While the body can be affected by mantras and words, the Ātmā is utterly and completely achchhedya. 'Adāhyo'yam'—This Ātmā is adāhya because it possesses no capacity for burning. Fire, mantras, curses, and the like cannot burn this Ātmā. Only that which is capable of being burnt can be consumed by fire, and the action of combustion cannot penetrate this Ātmā. 'Akledyaḥ'—This Ātmā is not capable of being moistened. Water, mantras, curses, medicinal remedies (aushadhi), and the like cannot make it wet. Just as some objects become wet through the sound of rāgas and rāgiṇīs, this Ātmā is not such. 'Aśoṣyaḥ'—This Ātmā is aśoṣya. It cannot be dried by air, for the action of desiccation cannot penetrate it. Air, mantras, curses, medicinal remedies, and the like cannot dry up this Ātmā. 'Eva cha'—Arjuna was grieving due to the possibility of destruction. Therefore, by declaring the Ātmā to be achchhedya, adāhya, akledya, and aśoṣya, the Lord emphasizes that the Ātmā is indeed such. No action whatsoever can penetrate it, and therefore this Ātmā is not worthy of grief. 'Nityaḥ'—This Ātmā is nitya, eternal, and ever-abiding. It remains as it always was. 'Sarvagataḥ'—This Ātmā is all-pervading. It exists uniformly in all beings, objects, and bodies. 'Achalaḥ'—This Ātmā is steady. There is no action of movement within it. 'Sthāṇuḥ'—This Ātmā is of an unmoving nature. No action of stirring occurs within it. 'Sanātanaḥ'—This Ātmā is anādi and sanātana, beginningless and eternal. It always exists; it is never born and never destroyed. 'Special Point' This world is anitya, impermanent. But that which abides forever is the Ātmā. The term 'sarvagataḥ' indicates the all-pervading essence. While all objects and beings in the world are in motion, the Ātmā never wavers from its intrinsic state; this is conveyed by the term 'achalaḥ'. In a changeable world, that element which is steady and actionless is indicated by the term 'sthāṇuḥ'. That which is never born and never destroyed is 'sanātanaḥ'. Through the aforementioned five epithets, it is conveyed that the Ātmā is nitya, eternally uniform and singular in form.